Includes bibliographical references and index.

Climacteric and non-climacteric ripening -- Fruit ripening: primary metabolism -- Cellular, metabolic and molecular aspects of chromoplast differentiation in ripening fruit -- Cell wall metabolism and softening during ripening -- Aroma volatiles -- Making the surface of fleshy fruit: biosynthesis, assembly and role of the cuticular layer -- Antioxidants and bioactive compounds in fruits -- Vitamins in fleshy fruits -- Polyphenols -- Ethylene biosynthesis -- Ethylene perception and signaling in ripening fruit -- Other hormonal signals during ripening -- Genetic diversity and control of fruit ripening -- Natural diversity and genetic control of fruit sensory quality -- Ripening mutants -- Biotechnology of fruit quality -- Insights into plant epigenome dynamics -- Functional genomics for the study of fruit ripening and quality: towards an integrative approach.